Super PACs Take to Airwaves, Democratic Governors Form Super PAC and More in Capital Eye Opener: Oct. 18

Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:SUPER PAC ADS GO LIVE: Two high-profile super PACs released television ads aimed at political candidates of the opposing party Monday, Roll Callreported.

House Majority PAC has spent nearly $1 million, mostly on opposing Republican candidates, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics. Of that total, about $37,000 went towards opposing Lungren, another $32,000 towards opposing Bass and about $27,000 opposing Duffy.

The television ads about Duffy and Lungren criticize the lawmakers for voting to cut taxes for millionaires and Wall Street, while the radio ads featuring Johnson and Bass paint the candidates as unfriendly toward business.

Meanwhile, conservative super PAC American Crossroads aired an ad criticizing President Barack Obama’s tax policies, which is running in the two states where his bus tour will be traveling: North Carolina and Virginia.

SUPER DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS: The Democratic Governors Association formed a super PAC this week called DGA Action. With the creation of its own super PAC, the DGA will be able to raise and spend unlimited sums on advertisements expressly advocating for or against candidates.

The super PAC’s treasurer will be Benjamin Metcalf, who is currently the chief financial officer at the Democratic Governors Association.

As an organization registered with the Internal Revenue Service under chapter 527 of the U.S. tax code, the DGA has had no limits on how much money it could raise. During the 2010 elections, the DGA steered $40.6 million into the pockets of candidates and committees after raising $55.3 million during the cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ research.

FEINSTEIN LOSSES TOTALED: The California campaign treasurer accused of defrauding her clients embezzled more than $4.6 million from the campaign of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the Associated Pressreported.

Kinde Durkee, who claimed to have “signature authority to more than 400 bank accounts,” was the subject of a criminal complaint from the FBI for defrauding the accounts of several California lawmakers, including Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), as OpenSecrets Blog previously reported.

When Durkee was charged, on September 2, Feinstein could only speculate the damage done to her campaign’s bank account.

But in filing its third-quarter campaign finance reports, Feinstein’s campaign describes $4.6 million in “unknown disbursements,” which she attributes to Durkee.

Fortunately, Feinstein is one of the wealthiest members of Congress with a net worth of at least $46 million, making her the seventh-richest U.S. senator, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics. Should she decide that she needs to, Feinstein could dip into her personal bank account to fuel her re-election bid.

The Center’s research reveals that Durkee has managed the finances of more than 80 federal political committees over the years. She has also contributed to many on the campaigns she managed, including $7,500 to Sanchez’s campaign, as OpenSecrets Blog has noted.

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